The fast food industry, and the necessity for disposable, inexpensive containers for foodstuffs, has resulted in the development of an appreciable number of different types of cartons, preferably of cardboard or paperboard.
In view of the substantial number of cartons utilized by the industry, and as the cartons are in fact "throw-away" items, much effort has been directed toward minimizing the amount of material used, and simplifying the formation and assembly steps. Similarly, inasmuch as fast food establishments, particularly ones with a high volume business, require the individual handling of a substantial number of cartons on a repetitive basis as the food is dispensed, designers of known cartons have strived to provide a carton which can be conveniently stored, quickly assembled to receive foodstuffs, and easily closed for presenting to the consumer or customer. Other considerations, from the viewpoint of the customer, have been the provision of a carton which is stable, with a substantially degree of strength and structural rigidity notwithstanding the thin nature of the actual material used, and which can be easily opened for access to the contained foodstuffs.